'Birrrrds--in
their little nests--agreeeee!'"

In three steps I laid hold of her apron. Only last night Leon had said
it would come, yet whoever would have thought that I'd get a chance
like this, so soon.

"Ho but they don't!" I cried. "They fight like anything! Every day
they make the feathers fly!"

In a backward stroke Miss Amelia's fingers, big and bony, struck my
cheek a blow that nearly upset me. A red wave crossed her face, and
her eyes snapped. I never had been so surprised in all my life. I was
only going to tell her the truth. What she had said was altogether
false. Ever since I could remember I had watched courting male birds
fight all over the farm. After a couple had paired, and were nest
building, the father always drove every other bird from his location.
In building I had seen him pecked for trying to place a twig. I had
seen that happen again for merely offering food to the mother, if she
didn't happen to be hungry, or for trying to make love to her when she
was brooding. If a young bird failed to get the bite it wanted, it
sometimes grabbed one of its nestmates by the bill, or the eye even,
and tried to swallow it whole. Always the oldest and strongest climbed
on top of the youngest and fooled his mammy into feeding him most by
having his head highest, his mouth widest, and begging loudest. There
could be no mistake. I was so amazed I forgot the blow, as I stared at
the fool woman.

"I don't see why you slap me!" I cried. "It's the truth! Lots of
times old birds pull out bunches of feathers fighting, and young ones
in the nests bite each other until they squeal."

Miss Amelia caught my shoulders and shook me as hard as she could; and
she proved to be stronger than you ever would have thought to look at
her.

"Take your seat!" she cried. "You are a rude, untrained child!"

"They do fight!" I insisted, as I held my head high and walked to my
desk.

Leon laughed out loud, and that made everyone else. Miss Amelia had so
much to do for a few minutes that she forgot me, and I know now why
Leon started it, at least partly. He said afterward it was the
funniest sight he ever saw. My cheek smarted and burned. I could
scarcely keep from feeling to learn whether it were swelling, but I
wouldn't have shed a tear or raised my hand for anything you could
offer.

Recess was coming and I didn't know what to do. If I went to the
playground, all of them would tease me; and if I sat a